When Kyoko Falls
by Penmansheep
Summary: Mogami Kyoko realizes that she has fallen for him and she's not happy about it a bit.
1. The day she realizes her fall

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat even if my cow did fly.**

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**One. The day she realizes her fall.**

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Mogami Kyoko didn't know that the feeling she refuse to acknowledge of having truly does hurt – figuratively and literally. She found her chest tightening as she slightly struggles to breathe evenly. The only thing she could do was to place her hand on top of her chest, as if the act would help calm the storm raging inside her heart.

_Fuck mind over matter_, she thought. She had been shouting through her mind to freaking calm down but her body stubbornly claims to have a body on its own. This was one of the rare times she would use such a foul word taught by her infernal childhood friend, and it even surprised her to see how irritated she was to the point that she would succumb to such brashness. The cause of such disturbance rests only on one person, the man smiling at her from the television, who was none other than Tsuruga Ren.

When did looking at her sempai start to cause her chest to ache? Initially, when they first met, seeing the man vexed her but eventually she had come to become fond of his company. They had become closer than co-workers, or so she thought, and with all the time they spent together as colleagues and fake siblings, her fondness towards him deepened to a degree that she considers dangerous already. Looking at Tsuruga Ren reminds her of childhood all over again as remembers her young-self hoping for her mother and her friend Shoutaro to love her the way she loves them. _I never did learn to stop chasing after hopeless things, _the girl thought in melancholy.

She hates herself more because she was the only one bothered by such a trivial and vicious emotion. The man is bloody unaware on how he drives her insane! A mere presence, touch and word of him can conquer every depths of her mind. She wanted to hate the man so much yet she couldn't make herself do it. She tried looking for aspects to hate, his flaws and imperfections, but she ends up falling for those too. For all of the times he had helped her, all she could do was be thankful because without him she probably won't be able to be here right now. For once, she realizes how difficult it was not to be smitten by him. For once, she becomes frightened as she realizes how Tsuruga Ren is much worse than Fuwa Shoutaro.

All of those thoughts flowed through a floodgate as she allows herself for the first time to introspect and reflect the feelings that she tried to ignore ever since. With all the emotions carefully locked inside her chest, a single man managed to break free the box of Pandora with utter ease. Now, love, or evil rather which is for her was more appropriate, has now consumed Mogami Kyoko's world. The locks had fallen and she was not happy about it. Shackled by helplessness, she, for the second time, opened herself to the vulnerability of the blasted emotion called love.

She wondered when everything happened, how such emotion that she carefully monitored, managed to bounteously sprout and bloom inside her heart. It caught her off guard like a thief sneaking inside her home while she is peacefully sleeping. She had been foolish to believe that her defenses were impenetrable. Due to this, she suddenly woke up one day discovering that her heart had already been infiltrated. She cried in her mind as though she had lost a war. She had fallen and she did not know how to go back up.

Desperate to push the man away from her thoughts, she looks at her watch and sees that it's time to meet her de facto manager, Sawara Takenori. She couldn't remember how she got from the Love Me office to the front of Sawara's desk. There was only one thing at this moment in Mogami Kyoko's mind and that is to free herself from the haunting thoughts revolving the man.

"Good afternoon Sawara-san." The actress politely greeted. The head of the Talent division jerked at the actress in front of him, not noticing her arrival. As he returned her greeting, he noticed something odd from the actress. She was acting normal, which was definitely not normal to the usually enthusiastic demeanor of the lady. Neither did she show sadness nor happiness, and it worried him to see her like that. It was as if she was hiding herself behind a mask of indifference.

"Is there something wrong Mogami-san? Are you disappointed with the roles offered to you?" The man reckoned, seeing the files the actress were holding. For him though, there was nothing to be upset of with the bundle of roles that swarmed on his desk. He was even surprised to not see his charge jumping with joy at the variety of offers that requests and calls for her abilities as an actress. With her splendid performances on her previous commercials and dramas, the name Kyoko was gradually being heard in the entertainment industry. Even the man held high regard to the abilities of the lady in front of him. She should have been everything but upset.

"No, there's nothing wrong with the offers Sawara-san. The roles offered to me are wonderful and I am actually having a hard time choosing among them." The actress smiled at the man for the first time who then then sighs in relief, concluding that perhaps that explains the actress' unusual behaviour. "I hope it's okay Sawara-san, but I would like to take these two dramas, two commercials and one PV." The actress continued as she handed the files.

Sawara's eyes widened at the long list of choices of the actress. She couldn't possibly be serious. "I don't think you can handle all of these Mogami-san. And even if your schedule did manage to fit with all of these, I doubt you'll have time to even eat or sleep." He sternly advised, wondering why the hell the actress would want to drown herself in work. Was the workaholic Tsuruga rubbing off on her?

The actress shook her head and smiled in assurance which did not help remove the worried wrinkles on the man's forehead. "Don't worry Sawara-san. I really want this. I just … need test and improve my skills more." _And to take my mind off of Tsuruga-san, _which was what the actress really intended. Sawara Takenori looked directly at the actress' golden orbs and found her unwavering resolve. He knew then that it would be useless to argue with her. He helplessly nodded at the young lady, telling her that he will handle the rest and will communicate with her within the week. The actress thanked her de facto manager and left the office.

Drowning herself in work is the only thing that Mogami Kyoko could think of as a solution, probably even a band-aid one. Perhaps escaping the presence of her sempai would help ease the disturbance burgeoning inside her.

The actress refuses to raise the white flag. She heaves an endless sigh as she places her hand over her heart once again. _No, I have not fallen yet, _she whispers to herself with the sound of her steady heartbeat. No matter how hopeless it may seem, she convinces herself of this because she knew very well that nothing good will come if she lets herself fall.

Unbeknownst her, Mogami Kyoko has already fallen off the cliff long ago. An abyss even, it seems. It is only the actress inside of her who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it.

Yes, the actress denies that Kyoko has fallen hopelessly in love with Tsuruga Ren.

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A/N: Okay, I wrote this one in a rush so please forgive me for the grammar and detail mistakes. Please do point out if there are and I'll gladly appreciate it! I've been itching to write an SB story and I forced myself to write one tonight because next week I'm back to my hellish university oh no. It's kind of messy, I think, let me know what you think. R&R please and thank you so much!


	2. The same day he missed her

**Disclaimer: I will never own Skip Beat even if I did poop gold.**

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**Two. The same day he missed her.**

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Three days.

Tsuruga Ren had not seen her for three days. For a normal person, such time period was not actually that lengthy. Before, weeks or even months of working pass without even him noticing it. However, these mere three days bothered him so much and it was all due to the absence of Mogami Kyoko from his sight.

His manager, Yukihito Yashiro, was very much aware of what's happening to his charge. After all, he is the number one follower of the Ren and Kyoko pair. He also believes that it is a part of his job description to attend to the welfare of his charge and that "welfare" includes the love life of Ren, and love life of Ren is equal to Kyoko. Therefore, he had taken the responsibility of being the bridge between the two by tracking the actress through her schedule. Oh the things Yashiro does for his charge.

"I'll take care of the business upstairs. Kyoko-chan is at the LA Hearts. I know you've been dreading to see her after three days." The spectacled man said with a chesire cat grin and his charge gladly appreciated it together with the teasings that come along with it.

Thus, under the late afternoon, he found his feet leading him to the restaurant with a cap and sunglasses in disguise. There was no difficulty in finding her upon entering LA Hearts. She sat alone in a secluded corner beside the window, gazing at nothing through the streets of Tokyo. With her chin rested on her palm, she fell into deep thought and the air that surrounded her held everyone from disturbing her. Her presence lured occasional glances from the customers and as the rays of sunset kissed her skin, she became more radiant than she already was. Her image was a piece of art. The sight of her never ceased to mesmerize him - she was simply ethereal and utterly beautiful. His wishful thinking only hoped that it was him who contained her thoughts.

The actor approached her table. Still trapped in her own world, the actress failed to notice his presence, and with an amused look, the actor removed his disguise and leaned towards her in scrutiny.

"Tsuruga-san!" Her golden eyes widened in recognition and surprise. She bowed and greeted him and the two of them sat together. In the eyes of the customers gazing at them, the sight of the girl alone had already been beautiful. But with the arrival of the man, perfection came.

"Is there something wrong Mogami-san?" He asked when he saw the actress place her hand over chest.

"Yes. One day I'll have a heart attack and it will be your fault." She accused him jestingly. Oh if he only knew the complexity that hand gesture held for Mogami Kyoko.

He laughed at her accusation and said that it was her fault for being so unaware of her surroundings. In the short span of time of three days, he truly did miss her. Who knew that one day he would come to testify the cheesy statement that seeing the one he loves would be enough to make his day complete. He then wondered, what if those three days turned into weeks or even months? Certainly, he would not be able to take it. He was like a man forever trapped in a cave and who saw the light for the first time, and he cared not for the overstatement.

For him, there was actually progress in their relationship. With their work and the roles they played, somehow they became closer as friends. She was comfortable around him unlike before. They were still in the last name basis but this was Mogami Kyoko he was talking about. Stick and stones won't break her politeness. Despite this, he gave himself a pat in the back at the improvement he was making. It was a good thing that he had not scared her away yet. He would rather be the tortoise, slowly but surely, rather than the reckless hare in the race for her heart.

A waitress arrived to take his order and he was blind to the advancements that the woman was making to the actor. Very much like a boy in love, Kyoko was the only one he could see.

"Latte please." He said to the waitress. "Would you like to order anything Mogami-san?"

She shook her head in response. "I'm okay, I already ordered a while ago. I'm just waiting for Moko-san for our dinner date. What brings you here, Tsuruga-san?"

All efforts of avoiding the man vanished as he appeared with all might and glory in front of the actress. It was as if he was pouring gas and fanning the flames that she has for him. When she did manage to attain peace and serenity in her heart a while ago, the actor threw all those out of the window. However, a part of her desired to embrace his company. It had been a long time since the last time she had seen him, mainly because his movie for Black Jack has already been finished together with the end of the Heels siblings. Somehow, she missed him and she was reluctant to admit it.

"Yashiro and I dropped by for some business and I decided to look for you and wait here. We still have a late night talk show to attend to later and I think I could use some coffee while I'm at it." He already expected the next thing the actress would say. "And no, coffee is not my late lunch. I am proud to say that I finished a box of bento a while ago."

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, as if scrutinizing if he was lying or not. Gradually, her mouth curved into a smile and she chuckled, saying that she couldn't believe how eating a bento could be a huge accomplishment for him. That was so Tsuruga Ren. She found herself liking this part of him, and then hates herself for liking it.

One the other hand, the actor noticed something for the first time. There was something odd in her. He couldn't quite place it. He was not even sure if it was good or bad.

"Is there something on my face?" Kyoko asked as she caught her sempai staring at her heavily. She was sure that there wasn't anything on her face though. Her heart beat quickened and she unconsciously ran her hand through her chest again. His dark brown eyes pierced through her as if he was seeing through the depths of her soul, and she wondered if he could she the turmoil that was happening inside of her. If he only knew the effect he has on her. Their gazes were locked like magnets and they continued to stare at each other until the waitress arrived.

The actor squinted his eyes in a deductive manner. "Something is odd. I think you want to tell me something, or rather, you're hiding something from me." He released his gaze as he stirred his latte and the disconnection left the actress in terror. She had no idea what to say.

"Why do you say so? Don't tell me you're a mind reader." She managed to cover her panic with an amused smile.

The actor chuckled at her question because the answer was simple – he is in love with her. He could notice even the simplest things in Kyoko – how her eyes reflect her emotions, how she falls into her own dream world every now and then or how she places her hand on her heart whenever she is nervous. He was an idiot in love after all.

"We have been friends for a little less than two years Mogami-san. I think that it is just right that I know these things. What kind of friend and sempai would I be if I didn't?" He answered in a matter-of-fact tone. He should be correct because it would be unfair if he wasn't, compared to how she reads him like a book. She knows when his smiles seem fake, when he tries to hide his anger and even when he reverts to his old self. The only thing that he cannot understand is why she couldn't see that he is madly in love with her. Well the person in front of her is the number one love me member anyway. But aside from that, he cannot help but realize that he has been silently pursuing her for almost two years! Is this how much of a coward he is?

Now it was Kyoko's turn to stare at the man in front of her. His statement surprised her for two reasons: 1) She wasn't aware that her sempai regarded her as a friend, a close one even and it kind of made her happy; and 2) His observation was a blow to her ego as an actress. To think that she was confident to hide her feelings and act normal in front of him. This man truly was irritating.

Her lower lip quivered and unshed tears began to form on her golden eyes. She tried to speak but no word came out from her mouth. One could clearly see the pain crushing her inside and the actor felt his breathe hitch at the sight. It pained him to see her like that but before he could even ask what is happening, she spoke.

"I don't know how to say this but …" In the softest yet most frightened voice, a whisper came. It was as if her voice could break a glass. Her eyes glistened like gems and when a single tear fell, she dropped her sentence.

"I think I'm pregnant Tsuruga-san."

The man in front of her didn't know what to think. He knew that this was all an act but a part of him doubted it. She couldn't be serious. It was impossible. Yet her expression was so true that it almost breaks his heart. He shouldn't believe in this but the shock unable him to think straight. He could only look at her in devastated surprise.

The actress immediately regretted her prank upon seeing how her sempai took it. "I was kidding Tsuruga-san. I apologize. I won't do it ever again. It was a bad joke. It was wrong of me to joke about something so serious. Please forgive me." She rushed with one breathe in panicked nervousness and once again the actor was speechless. The urge to apologize and drop into a dogeza surged through her but before she could do it, she raised her head upon hearing the good-natured laughter of her sempai.

"I knew from the beginning were fooling me. An actor must always know how to school a perfect expression of surprise. You should thank your dear sempai for showing it to you, my little kohai." He said patronizingly along with a smirk that reminded Kyoko of her sempai's American attitude of brushing things off. It was the Tentekomai and Dark Moon party incident all over again. The actress couldn't help but to chuckle at the poor attempt of reasoning of the man. But then again, she let it go because at least she was able to escape answering his question.

"Whatever you say my 'dear sempai'. Whatever you say."

The man was clearly aware on how ridiculous he was right now but the sound of laughter coming from the girl he loves made him forget about it. Her little act shocked all of his nerves awhile ago, but he truly was amused on how the actress managed to wrap him easily around her finger. This had been the second time she had fooled him, the first being kiss mark incident. He could never learn not to repeat the same mistake again but it brought him nothing but amusement.

As he finished his latte, the laughter of his companion renewed and he wondered what ridiculous thing he had committed right now. The actor however could not care more of what it was, because what proceeded after was definitely worth every embarrassment, so much that he would be willing to do it over and over again.

The actress cannot help but laugh at her sempai who is currently wearing a milk moustache above his mouth. His innocent look makes it even worse and she hates herself for giving in to the charms of the man. She stops herself for having dangerous thoughts but then fails. Undeniably, Tsuruga Ren definitely is the cutest right now. Unaware of what she is about to do, her hand grabbed the napkin from the table and she leaned towards him to gently wipe the moustache off her sempai.

"There." She smiled, removing the final remains of white as her eyes twinkled in laughter. She was emphatically fond of the childlike Ren in front of her. The desire to see him more like this burned in her heart. Seeing him like that made her want to spoil him in anyway possible. However, upon meeting her sempai's eyes, she saw his shocked expression and for the first time she recognized the mistake she had done.

"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san, did it bother you? I didn't realize that I slipped into Setsu." The actress hoped that he would believe her excuse. She got too caught up with the atmosphere that she let her guard down. What was she thinking, stepping beyond the line of their relationship as sempai and kohai? She prepared herself for rejection from the actor in front of her but what she saw was beyond her expectations. Tsuruga Ren was giving her his warmest smile, one that could almost break her resolve and leave her enamored to his spell. She grimaced, thinking how she would have preferred his gentleman smile. Once again, she felt herself repeat the gesture of covering her hand to the hummingbird beat of her heart.

He felt the time stop when he saw her lean close to him. He could almost smell her scent and it was tantalizing - so much that it overpowered the smell of his coffee. If she only knew how a simple act could consume him. He was a greedy man. With one taste of closeness, he was left hungry for more.

"If you only know how badly Cain misses his sister." His voice was velvet while his look longing and Kyoko felt her that she would melt under his gaze. The feeling was mutual and it made her heart ache. She missed the closeness they shared as siblings, as well as the security and interdependence. It was like she couldn't breathe without him for he was her breath, she wouldn't be able to live without him for he was her life. But the pain in her chest intensified at the thought that such intimacy will only be possible because they are siblings. Never will it be because they are lovers.

"I miss you too." Kyoko breathed in defeat. No effort was done to attach Setsuka's name on it. She was sure that her sempai will never misunderstand her. He only saw her either as a kohai or a sister.

For a long moment, they gazed at one another. Both are conveying the same message, but it never managed to reach both ends. Both of them held their own interpretation and understanding, they never wanted to expect anything because of the fear of being hurt. For Ren, he could only wish that she was saying that as Kyoko, and not as his sister.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something important." An annoyed voice broke their atmosphere and they saw the raven-haired actress, who was clearly not happy with the sight she had witnessed between the two.

"Moko-san!"

Kyoko threw herself at her best friend who surprisingly hugged her back in return. The orange-haired actress hugged her like a lifeline. Seeing Kanae was seeing salvation. If she had not arrived she probably would have drowned in her emotions. Kyoko silently thanked her friend in her mind for rescuing her from a difficult situation. She just didn't know how to continue her conversation with her sempai for all she could hear was her frantic heart beating.

While the number one Love Me member was busy hugging her friend, she had been completely unaware of the encounter occurring behind. Ren found himself pinned by the glare of Kotonami Kanae. He knew very well the cause of her vexation, which was the intimate conversation he was having with Kyoko. Kanae had always seen him as a competitor in claiming his kohai's affection but he didn't really want her to see him as an enemy. After all, he wasn't planning to be Kyoko's best friend. He wants nothing but to be her lover. However, it seems that number two Love Me member does not intend to understand his motives at all.

"Good afternoon Kotonami-san." He greeted with genuine politeness and she responded with a sharp nod. She shifted her attention to her orange-headed best friend and with a rushed "Let's go," she held Kyoko's arm and led her to the exit of LA Hearts. Kanae was definitely going to squeeze some answers from Kyoko as to why she saw them behaving so ... intimately. It irritated her and that damn Tsuruga annoyed her the most.

With one last bow and smile from his kohai, the actor felt like Kanae stole Kyoko from him. He scolded himself for having such thought. He knew Kyoko was not his ... yet. He wished that if only Kanae arrived much later, he would have been able to talk more with Kyoko. He would be glad to listen to her about anything, be it serious or mundane. As long as he would be able to spend time with her, that was the only thing that mattered.

"Ren, your face is slipping."

The startled actor covered his face and stood up by the time his manager arrived. He did not fail to see the goofy grin planted on Yashiro's face.

"Let's go. We still have a talk show to attend to." The actor said and he proceeded to pay for the bill. He waited for the fan girl Yashiro to strike at him and without disappointment, the attack came in no time. It was foolish of him to hope that his manager would let go of it.

"So... care to explain why I saw our number one actor smiling like a lover boy? Surely something good happened between you and our dear Kyoko-chan." The manager asked with his eyebrows wiggling. The man was truly skilled in fishing gossips, so much that if he was not a manager, he would probably be a successful reporter instead.

Knowing that his manager won't stop pestering him until he gets some answers, the actor decided to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, just to feed his friend's curiosity. He paused from walking and looked at his manager seriously with all honesty and sincerity.

"She told me she was pregnant."

The spectacled manager stood dumbfounded in disbelief. "You could have come up with a better excuse Ren."

Now it was Tsuruga Ren's turn to laugh.

There was one thing though that continued to bother the actor's mind. Kyoko never did answer his question on why she was acting strange today. She obviously avoided answering his question and somehow it worried him. He decided to push the thought aside for awhile, he was sure that he will be seeing her again soon anyway.

Oh if only Tsuruga Ren knew how wrong he was.

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A/N: I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes! I would also like to thank those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. Please tell me what you think of this chapter because your reviews make my heart swell! See you in the next chappy! :D


	3. The same night her friend confronted her

**Disclaimer: For the third time, I said I do not own Skip Beat. Ugh, this is getting tiring.**

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**Three. The same night her friend confronted her.**

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Japanese sushi truly is an excellent Japanese cuisine. Tasting such food brings a person to a traditional paradise, and such a unique taste is perfectly suitable to the unparalleled world of Japan.

Mogami Kyoko couldn't help but to savour each bite and to admire the craft of how such food was created. Unfortunately, all thoughts about sushi disappeared in an instant when the raven-haired woman in front of her dropped a bomb at her face out of the blue.

"What exactly is your relationship with Tsuruga?"

Her dear tamagoyaki almost fell when the number one Love Me member heard the words "relationship" and "Tsuruga" in one sentence. Such sentence construction did not make sense and she almost had the urge to call a grammar Nazi to reprimand her friend for making such an unthinkable mistake. Before she could almost fall off the pit, she managed to pull herself up and calm her nerves. It was a simple question with a simple answer. Why would she be vexed about her relationship with her sempai? But most of all why would her best friend ask such a demented question?

Kotonami Kanae watched the series of expressions that played on her best friend's face. From devastated surprise to nervous panic to raged confusion and finally to peaceful serenity, the raven-haired actress was impressed on how her friend was capable of executing a myriad of emotions. But she also knew then that she had hit the mark. Something was fishy between Kyoko and Tsuruga. She already had a feeling what it is and it did not amuse her a bit.

"Where did you get the question Moko-san? We're sempai and kohai of course. What else would it be?" The orange-haired actress laughed and she worried if her laughter was too fake or not. She returned herself to thinking how interesting the sushi train was as she refused to look at the female beside her.

With her eyes narrowed, Kanae scrutinized the behaviour her best friend was exhibiting. Kyoko was trying very hard to act calm and if the raven-haired actress may say, she was utterly failing it. Kanae felt like a predator ensnaring her prey and she knew very well how close she was from catching her best friend. As Sun Tzu had said, 'Know thy enemy and know thy self,' and Kanae knew which buttons to push and which things to say to fish the truth from Kyoko.

"Well the scene that welcomed me at LA Hearts was far from sempai-kohai to me. If I didn't know the two of you I would have thought that you two are lovers." As soon as Kanae dropped the word 'lovers,' a tamagoyaki fell from the hands of the number one Love Me member. Still, Kanae continued to add fuel to the fire. "What the hell were you two doing, telling that you missed each other? It looked like a scene taken out from a romantic drama for christ's sake! It chills me!"

_Did we really look like that?_ Kyoko asked herself desperately, not knowing whether she was happy at the thought or not. She can't believe that she allowed herself to become used to her sempai's company, to his touch and kisses, and mostly to the closeness that they shared. She mentally slapped herself to wake up and to remind herself that only Setsu was allowed to feel that way. How can she allow herself to exploit such affection that was only reserved for Cain's sister?

Kyoko completely denied the assumption of her best friend, saying that Kanae must have misunderstood the atmosphere. Besides, her sempai probably does that to everyone else, he is a playboy after all. Once again, Kyoko cursed herself for falling for a playboy. Cupid truly is cruel for making her fall to such guys each and every time.

Kanae did not want to bite Kyoko's lame excuse but she gave up anyway. The raven-haired actress decided that she would rather not hear the truth after all because it will bring nothing but irritation from her. The image of her alone in the Love Me section was definitely not a wonderful sight. "I was just checking Kyoko. Who knows, maybe you've already fallen for him and you're just hiding it from everyone even to yourself."

Unbeknownst Kanae, she had just exposed what was inside Kyoko's heart, that which the number one Love Me member desperately tried to conceal. Kyoko couldn't believe how transparent she had become but she was not yet ready to admit anything even if a gun was pointed at her head.

"Me, in love with Tsuruga-san? That's nonsense!" The orange-haired actress struggled to speak as she laughed like there was no tomorrow. Her tone however, suddenly became somber. "Tsuruga-san will never think of me that way Moko-san. I'm his one and only kohai and most of all, I'm dull, boring, and just not suitable for him. Besides, I'm the number one member of the Love Me section and I don't even think I'll ever be able to graduate."

Wide-eyed, Kanae stood shocked at her best friend's answer. Kyoko's response was different from what she had expected. The typical reaction would have been shouting exaggeratingly that such thing between her and Tsuruga was impossible. Instead, she calmly denied it as if she had already fallen for him and accepted that there is no chance between the two of them. Kanae already suspected and prepared herself for this, but hearing her best friend say it personally still surprised her.

"Kyoko, don't tell me…"

"Moko-san, try this toro, the tuna tastes like heaven!" The oranged-haired actress interrupted as she happily placed a sushi on her friend's plate. Kanae recognized the strange behaviour of Kyoko, that of fake happiness. It was the same expression when she talked to Kyoko before the Dark Moon party. Kanae arranged the pieces of the puzzle and discovered that ever since then, her best friend had fallen for him long ago.

"I can't believe you Kyoko. I thought I was your best friend but why are you hiding these things from me? Do you know how deeply hurt I am?" Kanae asked with hurt and disappointment evident on her face.

The friendship card was what it took to break Kyoko's barrier. Kanae saw the actress panic, who was looking at her with pleading golden eyes that begged for understanding. The expression of Kyoko implied with utmost vividness, _Please don't make me say it._ However, Kanae stood unwavered and determined to know everything, even if it means causing a turmoil in her friend's heart.

There was no escape and Kyoko feared it. The music must be faced and she prepared herself to expose her feelings for the first time, to someone other than herself. She drank some water and bit a sushi to stall some time and calm her nerves, but still, she just did not know how to say it.

"It's happening all over again, Kanae."

Upon hearing her best friend use her given name, the raven-haired actress knew that Kyoko was finally serious.

"I fell." The number one Love Me member did not elaborate. With her eyes cast down, she sat lifeless in front of her best friend. Admitting things like this was consuming all of her energy. It was just too difficult to pour her emotions out after burying the feelings that she promised never to have once again.

The raven-haired actress went silent. Her usual scowl deepened as she fell into deep thought. After minutes of long suffocating silence, she spoke.

"Are you saying that you're in love with him?"

"I don't know." Kyoko whispered, looking at nothing in particular.

"Maybe you're just infatuated. Perhaps you just admire him because of his skills in acting or his looks. Possibly, you're mistaking crush for love. If it is, you shouldn't worry because it will pass."

Kanae didn't want her friend to fall in love with Tsuruga. She did not trust the man and she fears that Kyoko would only end up being hurt. In fact, she did not even think that there's a man on earth who is great enough for Kyoko. But after having such thought, she heaved a sigh as she realized how possessive she had become of her best friend.

"Kanae, I'm confused. How do you distinguish between the two?" Kyoko raised her head in miserable confusion, desperate to find some answers and Kanae felt how she wanted to help her friend in anyway that she could. Kyoko truly was innocent of love and not to mention, pretty much ignorant at the same time.

_What am I, a love guru? _Kanae thought. However, she sighed and explained what she knew anyway.

"In infatuation, crush or whatever you call it, you like someone but you'll get over it. You don't expect anything in return and most of all, you don't expect that you'll end up together in reality. It's mere temporary attraction - there are things that you like about the person. We crush on a person who is unlikely to reciprocate the same feeling. It's like crushing on you teacher, a superstar, a fictional character or a stranger." The raven-haired actress paused for a while and she couldn't believe that she was actually saying this. But upon seeing how her friend listened to every word that she said, she reluctantly continued.

"Love on the other hand, is more intense. It's having affection on someone in spite of who they are, whatever they may be in the the past or in the future and no matter how many flaws they have. You accept them completely as they are.

"I honestly think that the thing you have for Tsugura is simple admiration, a happy crush to be exact. You feel happy when you see him. Perhaps you're just attracted at his acting skills. You're just there for the inspiration and nothing else." Well that was what Kanae hoped that Kyoko felt and she could only wish for herself to be correct.

Like a student, Kyoko raises her hand and comments. "Moko-san, I'm really surprised. It's like you're speaking based on experience. I thought we were comrades who have resisted the power of love?!" She placed her hand over her heart and spoke as if she had been betrayed. Kanae could only roll her eyes at the silliness of her friend. She was thankful though that Kyoko was back to her normal self.

"Are you forgetting that I'm in Love me because I lack in love for family and not romantic love?" Kanae simply retorted.

Kyoko's eyes lightened in understanding but after that she reverted back to her misery and depression. Instead of helping Kyoko, her friend's explanation threw every doubt and uncertainty there is, however, it is for the worst.

"Oh no. Kanae, this is terrible. It's not a crush, not even a happy crush. I don't feel happy. I'm troubled by him. I keep on thinking about him and it's even worst whenever I see him. He's consuming me. I'm attracted to every part of him down to his flaws and up to his skills in acting. I want to see every side of him, no matter how ridiculous or funny he may seem. I just… waaaa he's making me crazy! This is bad Kanae. I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless!"

Kyoko felt the tears form around her eyes and she tried so desperately to prevent them from falling. She buried her head to her palms, not wanting her friend to see her at her weakest state.

Kanae on the other hand, could only offer words to comfort her friend. Seeing her friend fear the feeling of love like this hurts her more than anything.

"It's because you expect him to love you Kyoko. You want him to love you back the way that you love him. You crave for his affection and his company. That reason why you're troubled is because you fear that things like that can never happen. That's how ugly the feeling of an unrequited love." But hello, her's is definitely not an unrequited love, the raven-haired actress thought.

"Aggh! I don't want this. I just want this to stop! Out of all of the people out there, I fell for the country's number one bachelor! I'm really looking for some heartbreak. What am I, a masochist?! Or perhaps a martyr even?! Next time, why don't I hold a sign in front of me that says, 'Go on, hurt me and fucking break my heart!' Kanae tell me, why am I so stupid? Why don't I ever learn?" Kyoko demanded to her best friend, flinging her arms up in the air. She looked like she was about to cry and her friend was silently thankful that they were seated at the isolated part of the restaurant. Thank god no one would be able to witness the breakdown of the actress who played Mio and Natsu.

"It's all because of the monstrosity that God created called of love. Love makes you stupid and it throws out rationality. That's why I don't bother myself with it. Love may make you happy but the compensation between love and hurt is just not equal. It's sacrifice. It's reckless. When you open yourself to love you open yourself to hurt. It's not the sugarcoated love that everyone's been celebrating about.

"You don't stop it either. It has a life on its own. You don't command it to disappear. So whether you want it or not, you love him and that's it." Kanae looked at her bestfriend who becoming more miserable by the minute.

Does she tell Kyoko that her sempai likes her? But what if Tsuruga isn't what he looks like? Kyoko is just too nice that Kanae is afraid that her kindness will be abused by anyone especially that man. She only wants to protect her best friend from hurt, but at the same time, she is also aware of how selfish this reason is. Kanae is just afraid that Tsuruga will take Kyoko away from her but she knows very well the happiness that the man brings to her best friend. For the sake of Kyoko's happiness, perhaps she'll do anything for that.

"What if I tell you that Tsuruga is in love with you?"

"That's the second time you said that Moko-san. I may believe in fairies but I'm not foolish enough to believe in those kind of fantasies." Kyoko answered without second thought along with a miserable laugh. With the state she was in, she didn't even have the energy to be shocked.

"Kyoko, when did I ever lie to you? Am I not your bestfriend? Why is it so damn hard for you to believe me?" Truly, she just wanted her best friend to be happy but Kyoko is pretty much preventing herself from having such happiness.

Kyoko looked at her and saw her friend's expression. She did not know what to believe. She thought about it and it confused her. She analyzed if there were any chances that Kanae's statement was correct and she hated how a fire of hope lit in her heart. Yes, she desperately wished that Kanae was correct. The actress wanted everything to be true but believing in this would only be fooling herself. Yet, she allowed herself to settle for 50 percent that Tsuruga Ren may like her back. And 50 percent was already being too full of herself.

"Assuming that he did like me," Kyoko cringed at the thought. It was just unimaginable. "I don't know. I don't think it's as easy as that. Even if I did like him and he likes me, it's not automatic that it's a happily ever after and that everything will instantly work. What if both of us would like to focus on our career first? Or what if I become a hindrance to his career? What if Tsuruga-san realizes that he doesn't love me after all? I have so many of these 'what ifs', so much that I don't even know where to begin."

Kyoko imagines the happiness but she is worried about the sacrifice. Yes, she will be happy but she is not sure if she can guarantee herself that she will not be crying in the end. One thing that Kyoko does not want is to jump in before feeling the water. If ever what her friend said is true, she doesn't plan to grab at the opportunity. She has been there and done that and the last time she remembered, it did not end well. She's not stupid to get hurt twice and never will it happen again.

Kanae was surprised that Kyoko was actually this pessimistic. She thought how stupid her best friend was, depriving herself of the happiness that was already within her reach. Kyoko should think about now, the present, and not tomorrow. Seize the day as they say, because if she worries too much and blinds herself with what may happen in the future, the happiness will only slip from her fingers.

Oh god. The raven-haired actress thought of how she's more of a hopeless romantic than her best friend.

While Kanae was having her daunting revelation, Kyoko continued with her relentless rant. "And if Tsuruga-san did like me, why hasn't he made a move yet! That only shows that sempai isn't really interested in me." Kyoko's analysis reverts to 25 percent.

"Well it's because the man's a coward and you're the number one Love Me member Kyoko! What, do you expect that he'll go running around proclaiming that he likes you when all of us know that you're afraid of love?"

Kyoko went silent because what her best friend said was entirely correct. Maybe she has been putting her sempai to the same category as Sho - among those who will soon break her heart. Tsuruga-san and Shoutaro are not the same. Maybe her sempai won't hurt her. But that's all a maybe.

Kanae saw for the first time how frightened Kyoko was of love. Her best friend did not want to assume anything. Kyoko did not want to get hurt all over again because she doesn't think that she will be able to go through another heartbreak again. Kanae could only think of how badly he wants to kill Fuwa for doing this to her bestfriend and for giving Kyoko this trauma of love.

"So what do you want to do know?" Kanae asked. It seems like their conversation did not really help Kyoko with her problem.

"I just want this to stop. I want these feelings to disappear."

Kanae sighed. "You know it's not something you can turn off like a light switch."

"The least I could do is to try. If I don't do anything, I'm afraid that the feelings that I have for him will get worse."

"Is that what you really want?"

"Yes. I think."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Distancing myself from him?" Kyoko said unassuringly. Even she herself didn't know if what she was about to do was right.

"By? Elaborate Kyoko." Kanae was beginning to be impatient. She didn't like the sound of this.

"I just took two drama offers."

"And how exactly will that help you from un-loving Tsuruga?" Kanae asked with a raised eyebrow. Her best friend on the other side of the table, breathed in deeply as if preparing to unleash a bomb. And a bomb it truly was.

"I need to be in Hokkaido then in Kyushu for half a year." Kyoko said in one breathe, and Kanae almost had difficulty catching what she said. Before the raven–haired actress could even react, Kyoko finished her sentence.

"At a minimum."

Proceeding that was the sound of chopsticks breaking and the number one Love Me member shrunk in her position as she anticipated the growing rage of the woman opposite her.

"What? You'll be gone by how many months?! Are you that desperate? You do realize that you're leaving me behind to?!" It was amazing how the raven-haired actress was able to shout in a silent manner, to prevent drawing attention from the people in the restaurant. But Kyoko intensely felt the wrath of her best friend and she rapidly bowed her head to ask for merciful forgiveness.

"Forgive me Kanae, I actually didn't have the chance to think this through. I feel like I'll go crazy if I don't do anything. My chest feels like it's going to explode and it literally and figuratively hurts. I'm just that desperate to do anything just to stop myself from loving him more than I already have."

The orange-haired actress raised her head to face her best friend whose face was beginning to soften upon witnessing the excruciating distress present on her best friend's expression.

"Moko-san, you know how much I love you. I hope that you can understand why I'm doing this because even I am losing myself. I can't understand whatever I'm feeling anymore."

Kanae couldn't make herself be mad at her anymore. Somehow, she understood why Kyoko was going through such lengths just to escape everything, but what upsets Kanae is her helplessness in erasing Kyoko's distress.

"Okay, Kyoko. Just… don't you ever forget to keep in touch with me or else I'll drag you back to Tokyo. When will you leave?" Kanae tried to hide the sadness in her voice but she failed as soon as her friend said that she'll be leaving after two weeks. It was so soon and Kanae imagined what will happen after her departure. Surely, she could survive, but she didn't know if the lover boy could. Actually, Kanae wouldn't even be surprised if she discovered Tsuruga making up an excuse just to go to Hokkaido or Kyushu.

The two actresses returned to their sushis and they ate in silence. After the dreading conversation, they just ran out of words and the energy to speak. Truly, love problems can make a person go hungry. Their silence however was interrupted by the sound of the television in the restaurant. With the mention of 'Tsuruga Ren', Kyoko's head shot up towards the screen to see once again the smiling face of Japan's number one actor being interviewed in a late night talk show. The screams and cries of the female audience roared from the television and the actor's dear kohai wanted to screech like a banshee in madness.

"See! Everywhere I go he's present! It's as if I'm haunted by his malignant presence! Curse Tsuruga Ren! Curse him!" The dear kohai almost swallowed the sushi in her mouth as she yelled. Her best friend on the other hand glanced at the television unperturbed and resumed eating.

"That's what you get for falling for Japan's most sought after bachelor you stupid girl." Kanae said, handing her a glass of water.

Kyoko drank her glass and she couldn't tear her sight away from the television. Her sempai was as godly as ever as he wore his gentleman smile, and an ugly feeling rose in Kyoko's chest when she witnessed how the sultry host openly flirted with the actor. Reluctantly, she returned to her forgotten sushi and she tried to shut herself off from hearing the interview. However, no matter how hard she tried, she ended up listening to every word of the whole show.

"So Ren-kun, do tell me, with all of the women throwing themselves at you, do you really think I would believe that you don't have a love life at this moment?" Anyone can clearly see from the television how the sultry host batted her eyelashes at the actor, with her hands 'accidentally' touching him in places. The actor however was unflustered by the act and he remained professional, as if nothing unusual was happening on set. But his gentlemen smile seemed to intensify by a fraction which did nothing but encourage the host more.

"Honestly, I'm too busy to even have the thought of being in a relationship. It's not one of my priorities right now. I would just like to focus with my work, improve my skills in acting, and perhaps try more various roles that will challenge me as an actor."

_Liar_, Kanae thought, but when she glanced at Kyoko, she saw her friend's poorly hidden despair.

"You are aware that that's the generic answer?" Kanae said, thinking that her best friend would be utterly foolish if she believed what Tsuruga replied.

However, despite her friend's assurance, Kyoko's hope just dropped to zero percent.

* * *

A/N:

This is for the unrequited/one-sided lovers out there! Let us brace ourselves for the lonely February 14! Fuck love. Truly, fuck love! Yes, I'm a bitter single lady right here. Haha. Anyway, sorry for the late update, I just got out of my midterm exams like a madman. Please let me know what you think! Reviews, reviews! And thanks for those who favorited, followed and reviewed this story. Love you guys and see you on next chap!


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